"Particulate matter 10 micrometres or less in diameter (PM10) in the air comprises solid particles and liquid droplets from both natural and human-made sources. The main sources are burning wood or coal for home heating, and sea spray. PM10 is of particular concern because it is found in high concentrations in some areas. It can damage health and is associated with effects ranging from respiratory irritation to some forms of cancer.

This dataset records the number of times that concentrations of PM10 exceed the daily standard for years 2006 to 2013. Field names are Yr_<year>.

Method:"This case study assesses the number of airsheds where daily PM10 concentrations exceed the national short-term (daily) standard (National Environmental Standards for Air Quality, 2004) on two or more days. Exceedances occur when daily concentrations are above 50 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). An airshed is a designated area known to have unacceptable levels of pollutants or that may require air-quality management.

This case study uses data from regional council and unitary authority monitoring sites. Monitoring information is only included if the site has - valid data for 75 percent of the year - follows good practice approaches (Ministry for the Environment, 2009).

The sample of monitoring sites varies year to year, with additional sites being included if best practice approaches are followed or omitted if not of adequate standard. Generally, those airsheds that do exceed the standard are continually monitored until they regularly no longer exceed the standard.

Some of the monitoring occurs at locations expected to have the highest concentrations (eg close to road traffic or peak urban areas) in that area and may therefore not be representative of the whole population of the area it is located in.

Reference:

Ministry for the Environment (2009). Good practice guide for air quality monitoring and data management. Available from www.mfe.govt.nz."

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Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand by Ministry for the Environment